Up for sale is a very clean and low mile 1998 Saleen S351 Convertible. Yes it’s a real Saleen! 1 of 1 car as you can see in the letter of authenticity I bought from Saleen. Super low miles as you can see.

The car runs and drives perfect. I just had the engine and trans pulled and had it completely resealed. It had some oil leaks when I acquired the car. Convertible top is in great condition, and the motor for the top works great. The car has been under a car cover in a temperature controlled garage for the last two years and driven a couple times a month to keep all the fluids moving.

98-0016S S351 Speedster

Recaro cloth seats on the interior. I purchased a complete decal kit from Saleen when I got the car so all the decals are brand new. OK! so what isn’t perfect. The Speedster cover was not with the car when I acquired the car. Nor the roll bar. Last thing is the rear wing. Its not the S351 wing that is commonly seen on these cars. I called Saleen and spoke with Molly Saleen for about an hour and a half. She verified that the spoiler that is on the car is the one the customer ordered when she personalized the car. Original owner was named Beatrice. If any of you have a Saleen Registry you will be able to find this information.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out. Title in hand. Don’t waste your time or mine with low ball offers. I will entertain any reasonable offers. No trades. Just looking to sell the car. Thank you for taking the time to check out the car. Happy Bidding!

Please keep in mind the car is for sale locally. I can end the auction early if the car sells locally.

The powerful and exotic S351 Mustangs offered during the 1990s were a serialized series of unique and complex vehicles by Saleen Performance. These Saleen Mustangs were twice (or three times) as powerful as their Ford produced counterparts of the same era.

For the 1998 model year Saleen produced 205 street Mustangs; 183 were S281 models while 22 were S351 editions. Of those 22, 12 were produced on the convertible body style. Of those 12, 10 were optioned with the Speedster package with 6 having the Leather Saleen Seating equipment. In addition to those statistics, 98-0022 was the lone Chrome Yellow S351 produced for 1998.

If we look at the production run for yellow exterior paint from 1994-98 on the SN95-styled S351, we see Saleen Performance produced 14 units of 351 powered Mustangs in this color. -DB

When Saleen Performance debuted their new S281 for 1996, they resumed to offer a mainline model that featured familiar styling and suspension upgrades on the SN95 Mustang. Introduced as an entry-level, serialized Saleen vehicle to complement their labor-intense and performance juggernaut S351; this first generation of S281 returned Saleen Performance to their roots by focusing to improve handling and aerodynamics characteristics of the forth generation Mustang GT powered by a newly introduced 4.6 liter, 2-valve, “Modular” V8 from Ford Motor Company.

98-0075 S281 Cobra

For those in need of more “horsepower,” a little-known available option was to substitute the standard Mustang GT chassis for that of an SVT Cobra with it’s free-revving 4.6 liter, 4-valve V8 engine. This “special” S281 Cobra conversion was elected by eleven customers during the 1996 model year. Production increased to eighteen units for 1997 with newly established publicity and ordering details for the S281 Cobra Edition.

Chris Chrisanti of Illinois was introduced to Saleen Mustang ownership by way of a thoroughly enjoyed 1994 S351 Supercharged coupe (94-0042). With desires of a streetable, less-complex, but equally rare Saleen Mustang; Chris sold his beloved ’94 and began his search for a new steed.

While cruising social media posts in October 2014, a young preteen skateboarder shared a photo of his dream ride, what appeared was a Chrome Yellow S281 coupe with Cobra fender emblems. Further investigation proved futile as this “youngster” would not respond to direct messaging as to the local of this vehicle. Attempts made to contact relatives of the boy were also rebutted. An impatient review of his user profile gave a home state of Florida. Where to begin? CarFax reports were pulled for each of the 1998 S281 Cobra coupes in Chrome Yellow. The lone example last registered in Florida was 98-0075, specifically in Panama City.

First spotting: 98-0075 S281 Cobra

With little else to go by, an ensuing search of local dealer inventory took place through the remaining week and weekend. Attempts to locate 98-0075 failed. With nothing to lose, the photograph was referenced again. What clues could assist in locating this dealer? Item of note were: Promo material stuck to windshield, antenna streamer, bright red truck bumper, chain link fence, gravel lot and street corner intersection with newly paved sidewalk.

Again, local dealers were searched with an eye towards finding similar promo items on their vehicle inventory, whether they had a bright red truck listed for sale and where their dealership was located in relation to intersections using Google Maps. Eventually, this dealer was located while 98-0075 was being prepared for resale and prior to promotion on their website. Coincidentally, Chris’ father would be vacationing nearby and agreed to inspect #75 giving a leg up on any competing buyers. A deal and preceding sale was arranged before the dealer publicly offered #75, teasing false hope to many that called looking to make a quick purchase once 98-0075 went public. Causing debates of: “How did this car sell so quickly?”

Produced during April 1998 and shipped on the 29th of that month, #75 features the most Saleen optional equipment for a 1998 S281 Cobra coupe. Our order began with an Chrome Yellow SVT Cobra coupe featuring the Ford Preferred Equipment Package (Mach 460 sound system and Ford leather seating). Side note: Both Chrome Yellow and Bright Atlantic Blue were introduced on the SVT Cobra during springtime ’98.

For the 1998 model year Saleen produced 208 Mustangs, 173 were S281 models, 35 were based on the SVT Cobra chassis, 14 were of the SVT coupe body, 5 SVT coupes featured Chrome Yellow paint and 4 SVT coupes featured Chrome Yellow wheels. Of those, 3 had the Speedline Magnesium Wheels, 2 were equipped with the optional 2-point chassis brace, 2 had the twin gauge pod while 98-0075 was the lone S281 coupe, SVT chassis, Chrome Yellow paint to receive the optional Saleen/Recaro seating.

Two owner all original XP8 AWD fully loaded with every available option back in 1998 from Saleen. 2nd truck built and used by Saleen Inc. for promotional and magazine testing. Truck had Alcon front brakes but due to faulty brackets was returned back to stock before my purchase. Truck has carbon Fiber kit, Extractor hood, Recaro Seats, Coco mats, Magnesium wheels, Powerdyne Supercharger, Brand new Pirelli Tires, New Alternator, drive belts and tensioners, and a full engine service all within the last 500 miles. Original paint and all Saleen components. Typical chips, dents and dings for a 20 year old truck. I purchased truck from Saleen Inc. back in 2003 and it has always been garaged and put away for the Winter. Copies of original MSO and paperwork from Saleen included in sale.

This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Most people have never seen, ridden in or owned a Saleen Explorer, this is your chance to knock out all 3 in one shot. As if that is not good enough, you have a chance to see, ride in and own the very first one ever built! This in the original prototype and first production XP8 Performance Utility Vehicle. It was built on a 1996 Ford Explorer XLT chassis (registered/titled as a 1996 Explorer) and utilized as a press vehicle and test mule for the company. This vehicle was featured on the original Saleen Explorer Sales Brochure, Saleen Performance Parts catalog and numerous periodicals during 1997-1998. This is not the XP8 in the MotorTrend video. 98-0001 and 98-0002 (built on a 1997 chassis) were both featured in a lot of the early photoshoots and appearances. 98-0002 had a carbon fiber hood, 98-0001 did not. I have a lot of documentation and paperwork on this vehicle all the way back to the original owner (the daughter of Steve Saleen’s former business partner). Options are the key in figuring the value of these XP8’s. This has all the options that were available at the time (the carbon fiber hood, Alcon brakes and Saleen pedals were not available yet)

Other:
Racecraft Suspension and Speedline magnesium wheels with Falken Ziex 255-55-18 tires (they have about 1500 miles on them)

98-0001X XP8

I have owned 4 of these over the years. They are all special for different reasons. The XP8 specific parts are made of unobtanium. In most cases the only place to get one is from another XP8. There are several parts that are specific to this vehicle. It is one of two with these front and rear bumper (notice no gills) covers and the carbon fiber rear console. There is also a set of one, maybe two off carbon fiber rear diffuser covers that go with the vehicle but are not currently on the vehicle. They were damaged years ago. This is one special truck and holds a special place in Saleen history. Imagine if you had the chance to buy the first Saleen Mustang.

I have a lot of rare XP8 items that the next owner will have the first chance of refusal to purchase. I will not sell any of them without the vehicle. They include but are not limited to Saleen carbon fiber hood, extra Speedline magnesium wheel, XP8 blanket and throw pillows, Saleen Explorer Banner, NOS set of rear CoCo floor mats, Saleen boost/vacuum and fuel pressure gauges and a full set of Chicane stainless steel lug nuts. In addition, I have magazines, magazine articles, an original copy of the press release and photos featuring this vehicle. I have spent many years collecting this stuff at great time and expense. Any of these items that the new owner decides not to buy will go up for sale in the future.

As can be expected of a 19 year old vehicle that has over 100,000 miles and 4 owners, there are some items that you may want to know about. I tried to get a picture of the ones that could be photographed. There is a scratch on the drivers door, a chip in the paint just above the rear license plate, multiple scuffs on the front bumper, some of the paint has flaked off between the hood and the windshield and just above the windshield, the transmission leaks and is starting to slip under heavy acceleration, the check gauges light is on as soon as it warms up but I have never had any problems with any of the gauges, the fuel reset light is on at idle when it is in park (I believe this is due to the 255 lph Walbro pump in the tank) and the check engine light does not work. I know it is not on because I have always been able to smog it. Maybe the bulb is out or it was disconnected at some point.

I have done my best to describe this truck to the best of my ability. With that said, it is a 19 year old, 107,000 mile vehicle and is sold as is, where is. You are encouraged to come see it in person prior to bidding. I am not interested in any trade and do not need to sell it by any means. I hate to see it set and it deserves to be driven and enjoyed. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have if you are serious about acquiring it.

Car ReviewsTuners: 1998 Saleen S351

Saleen’s supercharged S351 Mustang would be inexcusable if it weren’t so fast. It’s a fiend with so much brute torque the driver feels as if he could pull both the Titanic and the ocean floor beneath it up out of the North Atlantic. Through corners, it’s as effective and subtle as a leopard clamping his jaw down on a zebra’s femur. The S351 is for fanatics-those few people with $60K to spend who value sheer performance over sophistication, comfort, or the prestige of a luxury nameplate (and who just have to have a Mustang).

Saleen is a small-volume manufacturer, not a tuner, and the S351 is almost a completely un-Ford Mustang. Saleen starts with a base Mustang, rips out the V-6, and replaces it with a version of Ford’s venerable 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) OHV V-8. Using TFS “twisted wedge” aluminum heads, the intake manifold from the old Lightning pickup, and a Vortech centrifugal supercharger produces, Saleen claims, 495 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 490 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm. Behind that is the Dodge Viper’s Borg-Warner T56 six-speed transmission, and the rearend is packed with a hydraulic Gerodisc differential. The brakes are upgraded to 13-inch-diameter Alcons up front, and the suspension is lowered over a set of 18-inch five-spoke wheels wearing P245/40ZR18 front and P295/35ZR18 rear Michelin Pilot SX tires. The interior gets leather Recaro front seats, white-face gauges (including a 200-mph speedo and a dashtop boost gauge), and body-color trim.

1998 Saleen S351 – Motor Trend

Saleen has done Mustangs long enough to know and apply every trick and subtlety from front camber adjustment plates through a composite hood and on to beefed lower rear control arms. Despite hellacious power, the S351’s chassis is never overwhelmed, which, considering the Mustang’s basic architecture, is amazing. That simple structure does, however, transmit tire noise into the passenger compartment, and bumps aren’t something the suspension subdues peacefully.

Handling is remarkably neutral, and the limits are very high. The rabid blitz through the slalom averaged 70.8 mph, faster than every production car but the Viper GTS, Ferrari F355, and Porsche 911 Turbo. While much credit goes to the splendid Michelins, the differential is equally impressive. The distribution of torque is managed so that the rear end remains composed through every transition and stays planted under acceleration. Unfortunately, by the end of its stay with us, that diff was slipping.

1998 Saleen S351 – Motor Trend

It takes two hands to select reverse in the short-throw shifter and the throttle travel is abrupt for casual cruising about town, but on the track it’s magic. Launched modestly, the S351 ingested the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds at 116.8 mph and barged to 60 in 4.6 seconds. It’s Ferrari-level performance that challenges even the venomous Viper GTS. But it takes a steady hand to extract it.

Even the barbaric Viper, though, seems a garden snake compared to the Saleen’s rude steed. Civilized buyers need not apply.